Fake cop who kidnapped man and demanded sex with wife is convicted

Paloma Esquivel

A Santa Ana man who posed as a police officer and threatened a man with deportation if he did not allow him to have sex with his wife was convicted Tuesday.

Tariq Ibrahim Musa, 33, was found guilty in Orange County Superior Court of felony kidnapping to commit a sex offense and felony kidnapping for ransom. He faces at least seven years in state prison when sentenced next month.

According to prosecutors, in April of 2009, Musa approached a man outside a Mexican food market in Santa Ana, showed him a badge and told him he was under arrest for illegally selling CDs. He made the man get into his car and used a built-in radio to pretend he was calling in an arrest.

Musa also took the man’s wallet and saw that he carried a photo of his wife and child. He told the man his wife was beautiful and that he would set him free in exchange for one hour alone with her.

If he didn’t comply, Musa said, the man would have to serve 10 years in federal prison and then be deported to Mexico, prosecutors said.

He drove to the man's apartment and told him to bring out his wife. Once inside, the man got away and told his wife and family what was happening. A family member called 911.

Musa’s attorney Rudy Loewenstein called the conviction a “travesty of justice.” He said Musa’s accuser is living in Mexico and, though he testified during a preliminary hearing, had not returned to California for the trial. A previous trial was planned in 2010 but the charges were dismissed when the victim failed to show up, Loewenstein said.

The trial that ended with a conviction Tuesday “consisted of a preliminary hearing transcript and no live testimony from either the victim -- the alleged victim -- or anyone else except one police officer,” Loewenstein said.

“I don’t think the defendant was given a fair trial.”

He said he planned to file an appeal as soon as sentencing is complete.